On the bus at 8:45 a.m., big day today. We will visit Man Vintners, Stark-Condé and Voekenhoupskloof. That is a mouthful like many South Africa names. Man is not as chauvinistic as it sounds, it's actually named for the wives of the partners, Marie, Anette and Nicky.
These are great value wines that still show varietal and regional character and are grown from relatively low yielding vineyards. The sauvignon blanc is my favorite, it has nice pear and citrus, good minerality and just a touch of residual sugar with great balance. The wines and the views just get better and more intense throughout the day.
Next is tasting and lunch at Stark-Condé. The drive to the top of 3 Palms Vineyards, which partially burned down 2 weeks ago, gave us a breathtaking view of the valley in Stellenbosch and the farm. That's what they call them here -- they are wine farms, and the growers are wine farmers.
A trip back to the hotel, got in a 3 mile run and quick shower and we are out to Boekenhoutskloof. Hard to say but their top sellers are easier -- they produce Porcupine Ridge, The Wolf Trap and The Chocolate Block, as well as their own wine with their name. The executive wine maker, Marc Kent, is a character and larger than life. He's directing a young and dynamic team of wine makers, producing exciting wines at sane prices.
Then we headed down to the nearby town of Franschhouk to Reuben's restaurant. The owner is a friend of Marc's and it's a hot restaurant here. Of course, the dinner was an awesome dinner and more great wine.
They say the South African wines mix the old world with the new world. They have great fruit and the structure of the new world, and the higher acidity and minerality of the old world. What's not to like about these wines and this place?